Box-seal.



E. J. BROOKS.

BOX SEAL.

AYPLIOATION FILED JULY 2s. 1909.

Patented Nov. 16.1909.

MllllL-nulllmlul n hUNTTED STATES PATENT OFTCE.

EDWARD J. BROOKS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

BOX-SEAL.

To all whom it may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, Enwann J. BRooKs, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of East Orange, in the State of N ew Jersey,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Box-Seals, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to the combination of metallic seal parts and boxstraps as means for sealing wooden packing cases or boxes so as toinsure the detect-ion of any opening thereof for the abstraction of thecontents or of any tampering therewith.

lt relates especially to nailless box seals, examples of which are setforth in my previous specifications forming part of United StatesLetters Patent Nos. 925,450 and 925,451, dated June 22, 1909, and No.927,217 dated July 6, 1909.

A preferred box strap tool for tight ening the box straps preliminary tosealing them under tension, is set forth in my previous specificationforming part of United States Letters Patent No. 925,990, dated J une22, 1909, and a preferred seal press for press fastening such box strapsand seals without even indenting the subjacent surface of Ithe box isset forth in my companion specication forming part of an application forUnited States Letters Patent, Serial No. 494,441, filed li/lay 6, 1909(Letters Patent No. 932,438, dated August 31, 1909.)

The present invention consists in certain novel combinations of parts,embodied respectively in a press-fastened nailless box seal and in itsseal part, as hereinafter particularly described and claimed; and theleading objects of this invention are to increase the security of theseal; to provide for readily stamping the seal part with distinguishingmarks at the press fasteningl operation, and to protect such marksagainst obliteration or defacement.

Other objects will be set forth in the general description whichfollows:

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof. V

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box sealed according to the presentinvention; Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively face and edge views of thedistinguishing soft-metal member of the improved seal part; Figs. 4 and5 are like views of the sheet-metal member of one species of the same;Figs. 6 and 7 are like views of this seal part as it leaves the factory;Fig. 8 represents a magnified cross Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 23, 1909.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909. Serial No. 509,119.

section on the line .er-B, Fig. 6; Figs. 9 and 10 are sectional edgeviews illustrating the sealing operation; Figs. 11 and 12 are sectionalviews on the same scale as Fig. S, further illustrating the sealing.operation, and showing the seal part in section; Fig. 13 represents across section through the press fastened seal part and box-strap ends;Fig. 14 is a face view corresponding with Fig. 13; and Figs. 15 and 16are sectional edge views illustrating a modification of the seal part.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in all the figures.

In carrying this invention into effect a metallic seal part, a or a2,and a metallic box strap, l), are employed in connection with abox-strap tool or tightener, parts of which are represented at CZ, e andj, in Figs. 9 and 10, and a suitable sealing tool, which is preferablythe improved seal press set forth in the specification forming part ofsaid application Serial No. 494,441, (Patent No. 932,438) the base ofwhich is represented at g in Figs. 10, 11 and 12.

The improved seal part a or a2 includes, in each construction thereof,top and bottom members, 1 and 2, made respectively of suitable softmetal, such as lead, and of suitable sheet metal7 such as tin (tinplate). The former, which more particularly distinguishes the presentinvention, may be stamped from sheet lead or may be cast, as preferred,`and its metal or alloy should be sufficiently ductile to iiow more orless freely under sufficient pressure, and free from resiliency. Thesemembers are inseparably united at the factory, and in the press fastenedseals represented by Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14, and Fig. 16, the softmetal fills the interstices of the seal part and materially assists inrendering the seal secure against being tampered with without detection.In each species the soft metal memberl is also conveniently andpreferably provided in the seal press at the sealing operation withsuitable distinguiShing` marks represented by Doe Co. N. Y. in Fig. 14,in raised or sunken characters, and with a face depression or concavity,6, Figs. 11-14, and Fig. 16, within which such press marks are protectedagainst obliteration or defacement aforesaid.

In both species the top member 1 and the bottom member 2 beneath thebox-strap passage 5 may be and preferably are im perforate until thesealing operation; and i the bottom of the seal part a or and theoverlapped ends of the box-strap b are further provided at the sealing'opera tion with rigid interlocked portions, 7 and 8, l1-14'f, and F 1G,substantially at right angles to the subjacent box portion c, formed bythe partly severed. metal displaced from within a central punch-hole, 9,extending vertically through all. in the species represented by Figs. 1to 1li inclusive the seal part o is composed exclusively of said top andbottom members 1 and 9.; the bottom member 2 being' constructed with annpturned rim, 3, by which the circumferential joint or seam common toboth construe tions, is formed at the factory` and further constructedwith a central fiat-bottomed dcpression, 4t, having diametricallyopposite slots in its sides to form the box-strap passage, 5.

In the species represented by Figs. 15 16, the bottom member 2 has afiat rim, and a distinct rim member, 3, unites the top and bottommembers. The rimless flat-bottomed bottom member' 2 may form thebox-strap passage 5 in the manner above described, or, preferably, inthe manner set forth in my specification forming part of said LettersPatent No. 927,217, as represented in Fig.

The box-strap may be cut from a continuous length of any suitable thinstrap iron or like fiat metal or metallic ribbon, and requires nopreliminary treatment.

The tightener represented in Figs. 9 and 10 may be and preferably is ofthe construction set forth in my previous specification forming part ofsaid Letters Patent- No. 925,990, and the parts represented in Figs. 9and 1G are the slotted shaft of the tool, represented at (Z, a cross barof the frame beneath said shaft, represented at c, and a cross-bar atthe front of the frame, represented at f. For the purposes of 'thepresent invention said cross-bar e beneath the winding shaft may beprovided with a spur, 10, which is driven through one of the box-strapends, 1', into the wooden box cover or a like Wooden box portion, c, toprimarily and temporarily fasten the box-strap end for the tighteningoperation.

Said seal-press portion g, Figs. 10, 11 and 12, is characterized by afree edge insertible edgewise beneath the taut box strap, a flat orsubstantially fiat bottom, 1l, adapted to rest solidly on the boxportion c, a top depression, 12, between its lateral edges, and avertical hole, 13, within said depression. lts punching bit 7i, Fig. l1,is constructed with reference to forming said interlocked portions 7 and8 and hole 9 of the seal part a or a2 and box-strap b, and is preferablyrectangular in cross section with a double-bevel at its lower end formedand arranged to out or break through said interlocked portions a n d and8 in a line that is central and longitudinal with reference to the boxstrap b. Compare Figs. 11 and 14. For the purposes of the presentinvention said bit /L is surrounded by a plunger, z', Fig. 11, having aconvex lower end, G, adapted to form said concavity G in thepress-fastened seal part a or e2, and to stamp the same with any desireddistinguishing' marks.

After passing the box-strap Z) loosely around the box (Fig. 1) in thedesired position, both box-strap ends, 1 and 2, are threaded through theseal part a or a2. rThe tightener clueis then applied as in Fig. 9 so asto drive its spur 10 through one end, 1, of the box-strap into the woodof the sub- `jacent box portion c, and thus to preliminarily fasten thatbox-strap end for the stretching operation. rllhe other box-strap end,2, being uppermost, is drawn beneath the front cross-bar jZ of thetightener, and temporarily interlocked with the shaft Z by threading itthrough the slot of the latter and bending its extremity to resistwithdrawal as represented in Fig. 9. rlhe shaft d is then turned in thedirection represented by the arrow e, Fig. 9, until the box-strap isunder sutlicient tension to embed it in the box corners, at least. lViththe box-strap Z) under such tension, and the seal part a or a2 in thedesired position, the seal-press base g is inserted as in Fig. 10, andthe punching bit, 7L, and plunger a', Fig. 11, are actuated to pressfasten the seal. In that operation, the seal part a or contacts with thebottom of the depression 12 in the seal-press base g in Fig. 11, andupon the conclusion of the sealing operation, the seal part a or c2 isreelevated by the resiliency of the taut boxstrap as illustrated by Fig.12, so as to clear the interlocked portions 7 and 8 from the seal pressbase g, which is thereupon withdrawn edgewise from beneath the seal partand box-strap. After removing the seal press, the shaft d of thetightener is turned backward, as represented by the dotted arrow b inFig. 10 to unwind the box-strap end attached thereto, and the loosebox-strap end is cut off close to the seal part as represented in Fig.1.

A single sealed box-strap may in the above manner be located between theends of the box as in Fig. 1, or between the sides or between the topand bottom of the box, as there is no seal nail to be driven through thecover or like box part into the ends of the box. The box strap and sealpart may also, of course, be otherwise arranged, and may be duplicatedor multiplied if so desired.

The indentation by which one box-strap end is preliminarily fastened asabove described is represented at 10 in Figs. 1, 9 and 10.

The improved seal part and its members,

llO

in both species, may be and preferably are disk-shaped as shown, but mayobviously be oval or of other shapes; and like modifications Willsuggest' themselves to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described said improvement, I claim as my invention anddesire to patent under this specification:

l. The combination with a box and a superposed metallic box-strap undertension having overlapped ends, of a seal part having a sheet-metalbottom member formed with a passage for said overlapped ends of thebox-strap and a superposed soft-metal top member, permanently unitedwith each other, said box-strap ends and said bottom member of the sealpart having locking portions projecting rigidly at substantially rightangles to the subjacent box surface and interlocked with each other, andthe soft metal of said top member filling the interstices of the sealpart around the box-strap ends.

2. The combination with a box and a superposed metallic box strap undertension having overlapped ends, of a seal part havi ing a sheet-metalbottom member formed with a passage for said overlapped ends of the boxstrap and a superposed soft-metal top member, permanently united witheach other, said box-strap ends and said bottom' member of the seal parthaving locking portions projecting rigidly at substantially right anglesto the subjacent box surface and interlocked With each other around acentral punch hole, said soft metal top member having a concave uppersurface and distinguishing markswithin its concavity, and the soft metalof said top member, displaced in forming such punch hole and concavity,filling the interstices of the seal-part around the box-strap ends.

3. An improved press-fastenable seal part for nailless box seals,composed of a sheetmetal disk formed With a box-strap passage adapted toadmit the overlapped ends of a flat-metal box strap and constructed witha flat bottom adapted to be interlocked with said box st yap ends by apunching operation, and a superposed soft-metal disk forming the top ofsuch passage and adapted to be indented and stamped at such punching op`eration, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

EDVARD J. BROOKS.

litnesses EDWARD E.' CHASE, EDITH CHASE.

